


Your Secret's Safe With Me

by Lollopy



Series: Coffee Shop AU [2]
Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 15:08:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21412192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lollopy/pseuds/Lollopy
Summary: It's a month since Ben met Callum in the coffee shop, and he's not been as subtle about it as he had hoped.“Maybe there’s something on there not meant for your delicate, female eyes.” Lola raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him.“I’d believe that if I hadn’t had front row seats to Ben’s Big Gay Adventures on Grindr over the summer.” She brings the mug up to take a sip. “Either you’re doing something incredibly stupid and dangerous and you’re scared I’ll find out and talk you out of it… Or you’ve met someone.”
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Series: Coffee Shop AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543585
Comments: 4
Kudos: 65





	Your Secret's Safe With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for all your lovely comments on the first part of this!  
The Christmas update is written and waiting for December to be posted.  
Buuuuut it's NaNo month, and while I definitely didn't intend for this to be a series, here's some in between stuff that definitely counted towards my word count.

“You’ve met someone, haven’t you?” Lola says in greeting as she sits herself down opposite Ben in the cafe.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, even as he flips his phone face down onto the table and drags it closer to him, a protective hand covering it. She stares at the phone and then up at him, chin in her hand, with wide, knowing eyes.

“Don’t you.” She breaks out in a grin as she makes a grab for the phone. Ben all but leaps back, nearly tipping his chair over and falling into Jean’s lap. “See?”

“Maybe there’s something on there not meant for your delicate, female eyes.” Lola raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him, then turns to smile at Kathy when she brings over her mug of tea to the table with a plate of biscuits neither of them asked for. She looks back at Ben.

“I’d believe that if I hadn’t had front row seats to _Ben’s Big Gay Adventures on Grindr_ over the summer.” She brings the mug up to take a sip. “Either you’re doing something incredibly stupid and dangerous and you’re scared I’ll find out and talk you out of it… Or you’ve met someone.”

“Why does it matter? Unless there’s something you want to share, Lo. Not been holding a candle for me all these years, have you?”

“Me and Jay have got a bet,” she says, ignoring him and the indignant splutters he begins to make.

“A _bet_?” Lola shrugs, playing with a Jammy Dodger.

“I spend my time washing dirty hair at the salon or ferrying your daughter to and from school, I’ve got to get my entertainment somewhere.”

“I hope you’re not teaching Lexi these bad habits,” Ben says, hoping to distract her enough and change the conversation. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t work.

“Come on.” She reaches out, takes his hands in hers. “I want you to be happy, that’s all.”

“And make some money out of it at the same time?” She shrugs. “If - _IF_ \- I’ve possibly met someone I’d theoretically be interested in something long term with, I’m not going to jinx it. Or worse, have it ruined by the two of you following me around trying to catch a look at him.”

“So you have met someone!” He shakes his head at her, raising a hand to point a finger squarely at Lola’s nose. She doesn’t react.

“I said ‘if’! ‘Possibly’! ‘Theoret-’!”

“So show me what’s on your phone, if you’ve got nothing to hide.” They stare at each other, stuck in a stalemate. She’s not going to give up. And he’s not going to show her the texts from Callum currently up on his screen.

“... Fine.” He sighs eventually, rubbing the heels of his hands against his eyes. “But I’m not showing you a picture, and I’m not giving you _any_ details, right? Nothing.” Lola squeals (that’s the only word Ben can think of for the almost inhuman noise she makes) and claps her hands.

“Where’d you meet?”

“That’s a detail!” Ben says, laughing.

“Come on, you’ve got to give me _something_,” she pleads. “I won’t tell Jay.” He shrugs.

“I went in somewhere new to get a coffee last month, and he was working there.”

“You met him in a _coffee shop_?” Lola laughs, louder than Ben thinks is really necessary. “Did he get your name wrong on the cup to get your attention? Scribble his number on the side of it?” She gasps, dramatically. “Did Taylor Swift start playing in the background when he gave you your drink and your hands brushed?” she asks with a wink. Ben frowns, feeling like he’s missed a vital part of the conversation.

“What are you going on about?”

“Congratulations, Ben Mitchell. You’ve got the starring role a romcom.” He throws half a digestive at her, and she flicks the remains of the Jammy Dodger into his tea. “You should bring him round. We could do a double date.”

“It’s only been a month,” he says.

“And?”

“If you were me, would you bring him around here? It’s difficult to make a good impression when you’re surrounded by people who don’t make a secret of the fact they hate you.”

“Not everyone hates you,” she says dismissively. “A lot of people just think you’re a bit of a wanker.”

“Oh, great. Thanks, Lola.” He watches her get to her feet and put her coat on.

“I’ve got to get to work,” she explains slightly unnecessarily, like he doesn’t know her routine by heart now. “Remember you’re picking up Lexi.”

“Yeah, I know.” Then Lola leans down close to him, one hand on his shoulder, and for a few terrifying seconds Ben thinks she’s going to kiss him. Then he feels his phone moving against his hand and he slaps her arm away as he tightens his hold on the mobile. “Er, watch it, thief.”

“Next time,” she calls over her shoulder as she leaves the cafe.

Once he’s sure she’s gone and not just lurking out of sight, he flips his phone over and unlocks it.  


The messages between him and Callum are still open on the screen, a constant stream starting on that Thursday a month ago after he’d closed the Arches early and gone back to the cafe, and ending half an hour ago in a debate about jam flavours. It switches between intense flirting and inane nonsense, with the occasional Snapchat-filtered selfie from Callum thrown in.

He checks it _constantly_.

_Do you want to come to_, he starts typing, and then immediately deletes it before he presses _send_ accidentally.

He’s got a good feeling about this thing with Callum, he’s not wrecking things by dragging him to Albert Square and risking him bumping into… well. Anyone


End file.
